Department of Medicine - Surgery - University of Minnesota

Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care66faculty Highlight: Timothy Whelan, M.D.Timothy Whelan, M.D. was recruited to join the divisionfaculty at the University of Minnesota in August of 2003after completing his Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowshipat the University of Washington. During the research componentof his training, he focused on learning about lung transplantation,pulmonary fibrosis, and clinical study design.Dr. Whelan has two main areas of interest: lung transplantation and pulmonaryfibrosis. He is an active member of the University of Minnesota’s LungTransplant Program. He cares for patients with advanced lung disease bothbefore and after lung transplantation. He also participates in ongoing clinicalresearch evaluating outcomes after lung transplantation. Dr. Whelan isdedicated to continuing the education of others interested in lung transplantationand is currently working as the editor of the latest edition ofthe University of Minnesota Lung Transplantation Manual.Dr. Whelan serves as the Director of the Interstitial Lung Disease clinicalprogram within the Center for Advanced Lung Disease and works to buildclinical – translational research in this area. Interstitial lung diseases (ILD),such as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), are increasingly recognized asa very difficult to treat problem with a high mortality. The division alreadyhad a small ILD clinic to accompany extensive laboratory and translationalbench research in this area by Drs. Bitterman and Henke. Dr. Whelan hassuccessfully built the ILD clinic into a state-of-the-art clinic that providesthe latest care to patients with IPF and all types of interstitial lungdiseases. As part of this mission, this clinic now provides patients withthe opportunity to participate in clinical trials investigating interventionsto improve their outcomes. Currently, Dr. Whelan is the principal investigatorfor the INSPIRE trial at the University of Minnesota. This trial isevaluating the safety and efficacy of gamma interferon-1b in patients withidiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. The University of Minnesota is in the top5 enrollers out of over 80 sites participating between North America andEurope. Based on this success, under Dr. Whelan’s leadership, the clinicis already planning to participate in two future protocols for patientswith idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Dr. Whelan also helped conceive andspearhead the development of a tissue and sample repository, the O’BrienFamily Foundation Lung Bio-Bank. These samples will be used for researchon interstitial and other lung diseases.Dr. Whelan’s interest in educating others is evident from the many outreachlectures he has given through the state. He hosted a patient and familyeducation day, attended by more than 200 individuals from more than20 states and Canada. He also has an active project in collaboration withthe Coalition of Pulmonary Fibrosis to develop a CME program to updateprimary care physicians on interstitial lung disease.In less than three years on the faculty, Dr. Whelan has markedly increasedthe University’s clinical and clinical research activities in interstitial lungdisease while educating local care-givers, patients, and families about thisproblem. He is rapidly developing a national reputation as a leader in thisarea. Based in part on his clinical efforts, the division is preparing a NIHprogram project grant led by Dr. Craig Henke to study basic mechanismsof lung fibrosis. This program will identify new targets for Dr. Whelan andothers to test in clinical trials interventions in the future.